Partnership Principles
Through advocacy, strategic communications and media engagement, the Universal Access Project supports transformational U.S. foreign policy in the pursuit of health and rights for all.
The Universal Access Project has adapted our U.S. foreign policy pooled fund partnership principles from the Human Rights Grantmaking Principles to reflect our team’s aspirations for our own work and partnerships to advance sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice (SRHRJ).
We consider these partnership principles a work in progress that will continue to evolve over time with partner input and shared experiences.
Power Sharing and Shifting
UAP will acknowledge and challenge power imbalances across our areas of work, which includes adopting a more participatory grantmaking approach. For advocacy on U.S. foreign policy on SRHRJ, we will offer flexible or unrestricted funding, as well as simplified grant application and reporting processes. Our team will leverage our resources to support the capacity-building and strategic advocacy goals of our partners wherever possible.
Equity
UAP is committed to championing diversity, equity and inclusion both at the United Nations Foundation and within our partner relationships, and to being anti-racist, anti-sexist and anti-classist in our work. We ask our funding and NGO partners to operate inclusively, promote equity and prevent discrimination. UAP will apply an intersectional lens to our work and aim to authentically include and honor different identities and perspectives in our direct advocacy, communications and staffing.
Movement Building
UAP will resource intersectional-feminist-led work, including BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) -led reproductive justice organizations, and help foster coordination and collaboration across the SRHRJ advocacy movement. We will trust and support the self-determined objectives of our NGO partners, share relevant resources and timely information and participate in partner events and strategy conversations as is helpful and appropriate.
Accountability and Transparency
UAP will maintain the maximum possible transparency with our funding and NGO partners while also safeguarding confidential or sensitive information. We will request regular feedback from our partners, share how we have incorporated that feedback and work to constructively negotiate disagreements with our partners.
Adaptability and Learning
UAP commits to providing multiple opportunities for feedback, learning and coordination, including partner surveys and check-ins, partner listservs and convenings for strategic planning. We will strive to communicate intentionally, authentically and ethically, and to encourage collective problem solving around common challenges.